2 men charged in robbery, chase

West Seattle

Two men accused of a July 1 bank robbery that caused mayhem from West Seattle to downtown and left one of the suspects injured by police gunfire were charged in King County Superior Court Monday with first-degree robbery and attempting to elude a police vehicle.

Kevin Vernett Palmer, 43, and Douglas Michael Cox, 50, are being held in lieu of $2 million bail. They are scheduled to be arraigned July 21 at the King County Courthouse.

According to charging papers, Cox walked into the West Seattle Wells Fargo Bank branch dressed in black and wearing sunglasses, a woman's wig and black shoe polish smeared on his face. Court papers say he pointed what appeared to be a handgun, which turned out to be a pellet gun, and ordered two tellers to put cash inside a bag, then jumped into a waiting car driven by Palmer with an estimated $14,000.

After the two took off, police said, a dye pack inside the money bag exploded and officers, alerted by a teller's silent alarm, pursued them. The chase went onto the West Seattle Bridge, then onto northbound Highway 99, and to First Hill, where Palmer got out of the vehicle and was arrested.

Cornered by police in the middle of crowded Spring Street in downtown Seattle soon after, Cox allegedly displayed a gun when ordered to surrender and was shot about 15 times by four officers. His condition was unavailable Monday. Both men have criminal histories.

Seattle

Higher taxi fares to replace surcharge

Seattle taxi fares will increase Oct. 1 to help cabbies pay the rising costs of fuel, the City Council decided Monday.

In return, a temporary fuel surcharge, now $2 a trip, will be repealed, said Councilwoman Jean Godden. The surcharge left some riders feeling ripped off, so it's more logical and "equitable" to include fuel costs in the basic fare, she said.

New fares will be 25 cents per one-tenth mile, up from 20 cents per one-tenth mile. And the rate from downtown to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will be $32, instead of $28.

Monroe

Priest put on leave over abuse claims

The Seattle Roman Catholic Archdiocese has placed a Monroe priest on administrative leave after he recently was accused of sexually abusing a minor in the late 1960s.

This is the second allegation against the Rev. Michael C. OBrien, pastor of St. Mary of the Valley church in Monroe.

OBrien had been placed on leave in 2004, while an archdiocesan board looked into a 1993 allegation. The review board dismissed the case due to lack of credible evidence and OBrien — who denied the accusation — was returned to active ministry.

Seattle Archbishop Alex J. Brunett said the current case would be investigated with "due speed."

Brunett urged anyone with knowledge of allegations of sexual abuse of a minor by an archdiocesan employee to call the archdiocesan hotline at 800-446-7762.

Olympia

Cigarette-tax deal with tribe halted

Washington state officially terminated a cigarette-tax agreement with the Yakama Indian Nation on Monday, citing complaints that cigarettes had been sold to non-Indians without proper tax stamps.

The terminated tax compact dates to 2004 and has been the subject of a dispute between the state and tribe for months. The state Revenue Department, which began termination actions last year, said it recently prevailed in mediation.

In the meantime, a new tax agreement meant to replace the terminated one is tied up in tribal court. That lawsuit, from an owner of a tobacco company in White Swan, Yakima County, alleges that the newer tax compact should have been sent to tribal members for final approval.

Under federal law, cigarettes sold to Indians on tribal land are not subject to the tax, but cigarettes sold to non-Indians are supposed to be taxed fully.

The state now would consider any cigarettes sold on the Yakama Reservation to non-Indians illegal without proper state tax stamps, but officials don't have any immediate plans for enforcement, Deputy Revenue Department Director Leslie Cushman said.

Seattle

Convention-center fire safety tested

A restriction barring flammable cargo in both directions of Interstate 5 under the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in downtown Seattle will be in effect from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. today because of routine maintenance tests to the fire-suppression system under the convention center. The fire-suppression system will be disabled during the restriction.

Drivers transporting flammable materials, including commercial loads of gasoline and other fuels, should use alternative routes such as Interstate 405, Interstate 90 or Highway 520.

Anchorage

Climber dies; buried on Mount McKinley

Officials at Denali National Park say a climber has collapsed and died on the summit of Mount McKinley.

Fifty-one-year-old James Nasti of Naperville, Ill., died of unknown causes Friday after his seven-person climbing party reached the top of North America's highest peak.

Park spokeswoman Maureen McLaughlin said the group set out June 20 and made a strong climb toward the summit on a beautiful day.

Denali National Park rangers said a recovery of Nasti's body from the jagged ridge would be extremely risky. McLaughlin said Nasti was buried at the summit.

Seattle Times staff and news services